


Seven Days of Love Notes

by patchworkofstars



Category: Sanders Sides, Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Emotions, Fluff, Food, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Non-graphic injury descriptions, Panic Attack, Patton has a lot of feelings, Self-Doubt, Slice of Life, Some angst, i guess?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-04-07 21:35:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14090136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patchworkofstars/pseuds/patchworkofstars
Summary: A week in the life of Patton Sanders as he tries to save Virgil from insomnia, Logan from overwork, and Roman from a fire squid – all the while wondering who’s leaving notes for him around the mindscape.When you’re the heart, life is a rollercoaster of emotions.





	1. Monday Sunshine

Sunlight streamed in through the windows of the mindscape, replicating the weather in the real world beyond. As usual, Patton was the first side awake, and he hummed quietly to himself as he made his way down to the kitchen. To his optimistic spirit each morning meant a fresh start, and Mondays even more so.

Opening the cupboard to take out his favourite coffee mug, he found a piece of paper tucked inside with a note on it. _Patton_ , it read, _Your smile shines brighter than the morning sun_.

“Awww~!” Patton exclaimed, his face collapsing into a mushy grin, “Who wrote this?”

The note was unsigned, and surprisingly he didn’t recognise the handwriting. Perhaps the anonymous writer just wanted to make him feel good, without the pressure of being thanked. Shrugging to himself and slipping the note into his pocket, Patton switched the kettle on and started to plan breakfast.

Virgil was the next to arrive in the kitchen, an unusual occurrence that always meant he hadn’t slept the night before. Patton smiled sympathetically, pouring him a mug of strong black coffee.

“Bad night, kiddo?” he asked softly.

Virgil silently nodded, wincing at the effort of even that small movement. Wordlessly, Patton helped him into a chair and handed him the coffee. Once Virgil was drinking he returned to gathering pancake ingredients, knowing their other friends wouldn’t be far behind.

Roman arrived moments later, singing cheerfully, but he stopped short when he saw Virgil glaring at him with his hands clamped tightly over his ears.

“Bad night?” he asked.

“Yeah”, mumbled Virgil, “So just keep the noise down, okay?” He shuddered. “Actually, Pat, I’m just gonna have cereal. I’ll be in my room.” He poured himself some cereal and more coffee, and sloped out.

Patton’s chest ached as he watched him go, and he sighed with frustration, wishing there was something – anything – he could do to help. He was startled from his thoughts by the sudden weight of a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Try not to let it get you down”, said Roman, sympathy in his eyes as Patton looked around to meet them.

“But I feel so _helpless_..."

Roman shook his head. “You help him a lot, just by being here”, he said gently. “Please try to remember that.” He squeezed Patton’s shoulder and smiled. “Now cheer up, because this handsome prince is going to help you make pancakes!”

Patton felt his own face break into a smile as the tightness in his chest eased. Hopefully Virgil would feel better later, and in the meantime, it would be fun to have someone else to make breakfast with.

* * * * *

Making pancakes with Roman was quite an experience. He had no regard for careful measuring, and managed to spill first egg and then batter on the worktop. Even so, he was such positive, energising company that Patton couldn’t feel mad at him.

He hummed a show tune Patton vaguely recognised but couldn’t quite place, and every now and again he broke into song.

“Mm-hm-hmm,  
Mm-hm-hm-hmm-mm-la la la,  
Round in circles I'd go!”

As if to emphasise the lyric, he caught Patton’s hand and twirled him around, making the moral side giggle and blush. Yet the moment their eyes met, Roman dropped his hand like a hot knife and busied himself whisking batter, the song reduced to a simple melody once more.

Patton’s euphoria of the previous moment drained to nothing, and he felt like a puppy who'd been offered a treat only to have it snatched away. He turned to open a cupboard, intending to get plates out for the pancakes, but found himself face to face with a spider.

It sat there on the worktop facing him, _glaring_ at him, and he froze in terror. Roman turned to see what was wrong and immediately leapt in front of him, shielding him from the death dealer.

“Fear not”, he cried, sword materialising in his hand, “For I, Prince Roman, shall vanquish this foul monster for thee!”

Patton gazed at him, warmth flooding back to his chest as he admired the firm, confident stance. He could feel his own hands shaking, and the prince's courage filled him with awe.

Quite what Roman would have done to the spider he never found out, because at that moment Logan appeared. He raised his eyebrows as he took in the scene: Roman brandishing his sword, Patton cowering behind him, and the spider sitting there unmoving. He sighed.

“That’s a _Kukulcania hibernalis_ ”, he informed them, walking over to it, “A southern house spider. No threat whatsoever to any of us. I’ll take it to Virgil's room since it probably escaped from there.” So saying, he conjured a sheet of paper, coaxed the spider onto it, and carried it away.

Patton emerged tentatively from behind Roman, eyes wide, staring after Logan.

“I think that’s the bravest thing I’ve ever seen!” he breathed at last.

Roman lowered his sword, pouting slightly. “What about _me_?” he asked in a hurt voice. “ _My_ way would’ve worked as well!”

“Oh, you were brave, too”, Patton assured him, smiling, “You and Logan are incredible, I’m so lucky to have you both around!”

Roman dematerialised the sword, face sullen, but at that moment a strong smell of smoke warned them the pancakes were burning. They rushed to salvage them, spider temporarily forgotten, and just as they were plating up, Logan reappeared. 

The three ate their breakfast together at the table, Patton gushing over Logan while the logical side tried patiently to convince him that the spider had been harmless. Roman sat in uncharacteristic silence, shooting Logan occasional poisonous glares.

* * * * *

The rest of the day went by in typical Monday fashion. Patton divided his time with practised skill, never neglecting his job as Morality but being sure to make time for his essential side role of looking at cute animals on the internet. The others were equally busy, so the group didn’t meet up again until the evening meal.

“Logan, put that book away while we’re eating”, Patton instructed in his sternest ‘dad voice'. "Dinner time is family time, and I'd like you all to respect that, please." 

With an exaggerated sigh, Logan closed his book and put it to one side. Even so, Patton could see he kept glancing back to it as he ate.

The moral side took a sidelong look at Virgil, sitting next to him. The younger man was slumped in his seat, picking apathetically at his food. The makeup under his eyes hid whatever shadows were there, but his posture and attitude betrayed how exhausted he was. Patton’s heart squeezed. He hoped his kiddo would have a better night tonight.

The only cheerful one at the table seemed to be Roman, chattering with merry enthusiasm about some new video ideas he’d had.

“The setting will be a grassy field”, he was saying as Patton tuned back in. “And I’ll get Thomas to sing… I haven’t quite settled on the song yet, but I’ll iron out the details later...”

Patton watched him with a smile, making vague encouraging noises every now and again, his attention more on Roman himself than what he was saying. He found it hard to keep up when the prince was in full creative flow like this, leaping rapidly between apparently unconnected topics and concepts, but he loved the way he shone with enthusiasm, so brightly it was almost dazzling. Somehow his sheer joy and vitality made Patton feel more alive.

It was too bad Virgil never seemed to absorb any of that energy. As the meal went on, his lethargic expression settled into a glare directed at Roman. Finally, he cracked.

“Will you give it a rest?” he growled. “We get it, you have video ideas. Now shut up and eat.”

Roman gasped indignantly. “This is what I _get_!” he exclaimed. “This is what I get for sharing my creative magnificence with you _nerds_!”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you’re so creative you’re gonna make yet another video of Thomas singing yet another song in yet another field. People are gonna get bored.”

“They could never get bored with seeing me!”

Virgil raised his eyebrows. "You do know it's Thomas they see, right? It's not you." 

“True, but I’m the side he most resembles.”

“Seriously? We all look identical to Thomas.”

Roman tossed his head and sniffed. “Similar? Yes. Identical? _Hardly_.”

“Huh? You’re gonna have to explain that one to me.”

“I agree with Virgil”, said Logan. “I must ask you to elucidate your reasoning.”

Roman heaved an exaggerated sigh. “It’s _simple_ ”, he explained, “I’m the handsome one, Patton’s the cute one, Logan’s the serious one, and Virgil’s the sulky one. Attitude and bearing can change a person’s whole appearance.”

Patton’s eyes widened. “You think I’m cute?” he asked.

“Ah, um...” Roman froze, his ears turning red. "Well, yes", he replied. "I mean, objectively speaking I believe that's how people see you." He scraped a hand through his hair and looked everywhere except at Patton. 

“You said ‘Whole appearance’”, interrupted Logan. “While I agree in principle that aspects such as posture and facial expression can influence the impression a person gives to observers, they nevertheless don’t alter the underlying physical structure.”

“Yeah”, agreed Virgil, with a trace of a smile. “What he said. Give it up, Princey. Logan’s right, you’re wrong, move on.”

Roman twitched and made offended noises.

Patton held up his hands. "Now now, I think you're both right", he said appeasingly. "Even if we look alike we all have our own unique quirks, so let's try to get along."

“I suppose I can agree with that”, Logan conceded reluctantly.

Roman huffed and pouted, but then he caught Patton’s eye and broke into a smile. Patton beamed back, his heart lifting at seeing the prince looking happier once more.

 

The rest of the meal passed amicably enough, and Patton followed it with a relaxing evening watching cartoons and playing card games with Virgil. It was only when he was back in his room that he remembered the note and took it out to reread. Deciding it must have been a one-off cute gesture by one of the others, he put it carefully back into his trouser pocket then changed into his pyjamas and got into bed. Snuggling contentedly under the duvet, he whispered his final words of the day: 

“Goodnight, Logan, my wise teacher. Goodnight, Roman, my bold daydreamer. Goodnight, Virgil, my bittersweet child.”


	2. Tuesday Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton has a plan to cure Virgil’s insomnia. Too bad Roman and Logan are behaving (more) strangely (than usual).

On Tuesday morning, Patton found a note in the cutlery drawer.

_You are a star lighting my darkest night_ , it said, and there were little stars drawn all around the words. He could feel the mushy smile return to his face as he gazed at it, wondering again just who the writer was. His reverie was interrupted by a sudden voice from the doorway.

“What have you got there?”

Patton spun around, startled, to find Virgil watching him. “Just a note, nothing important”, he said, quickly slipping it into his pocket. He hesitated. “Unless you wrote it?”

Virgil shook his head.

“Must have been one of the others, then!” Patton said brightly. “Anyway, how are you, kiddo? Feeling any better today?”

Virgil shrugged. “Still tired. Still not sleeping. I just wanna curl up and die, but nope, I can’t even get that right.”

Patton bit his lip and frowned. Coming up with solutions wasn't exactly his strong suit, but there must be some way he could help his friend. "Wait!" he said suddenly, snapping his fingers, "Would it help if you had someone to sleep with?" 

“Uhhhh...” Virgil stared at him.

Patton blushed slightly. “Oh, uh, I didn’t mean like that. I just thought…maybe we could put cushions and sleeping bags on the living room floor, and have a sort of sleepover. You and me, and perhaps the others if you’d like it and they’re willing. So you wouldn’t be alone.”

“That...might actually help”, said Virgil, after a moment’s consideration. “I dunno, at this point I’m willing to give it a try.”

“Would you like the others to join us?”

Virgil shrugged. “I guess if they want to, they can. I don’t want either of them throwing a fit because they feel left out.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. You invite them, though. I don’t have the energy to deal with them right now.”

Patton smiled broadly. “Sure, kiddo! This’ll be fun! And I’ll let them know this sleepover is for sleeping, so they’re not bickering until 2 am.” He winked, and Virgil gave him a half smile.

“Thanks, Dad, you’re the best.”

* * * * *

Roman seemed strangely flustered when he opened the door of his room. Rather than flinging it wide as he usually did, he stopped it halfway with a foot, blocking Patton's view of whatever lay beyond. His right hand fidgeted awkwardly with the cuff of his jacket, and his eyes kept flicking to one side. The others might have let it slide, but Patton wasn't the others. He always preferred the direct approach. 

"What are you hiding in there?" he asked, trying to peer past Roman into the room.

“Nothing at all!” He laughed nervously. “W-Would you like to come in?”

“Yes, please!”

“One moment, my room’s rather messy. I’ve been working on a project of sorts, just let me clean up a little...”

With that, he slid himself out of the doorway, pulling the door shut as he moved. Patton frowned at the wooden barrier. For a brilliant actor, Roman could be terrible at acting.

He reappeared a minute later, face flushed and with a smile Patton could easily see was forced. The prince’s true smiles always lit up his eyes, and this one didn’t even reach them.

“Come in!” he said too brightly, scraping a hand through his hair as he stepped back and held the door open for the moral side.

Patton couldn’t see anything in the room to explain the odd behaviour. He stepped across the threshold onto the plush carpet, his eyes roving across all the old familiar Disney posters and playbills on the walls. Taking a deep breath, he filled his nostrils with the scent of roses, cinnamon, buttered popcorn, and fresh air that always made him feel somehow at home.

His eyes wandered back to Roman and found him gazing back with an oddly soft expression. Patton’s breath caught in his throat, but then the prince jerked his head away, clearing his throat and moving to stand in front of his desk drawers.

“So, what did you want to speak to me about?” he asked, his voice a little too high-pitched.

“Oh, uh…” Patton dragged his attention back to the matter at hand. “Virgil and I are having a sleepover in the living room tonight, and we wondered if you’d like to join us.”

“You’re having a sleepover? With Virgil?” Roman’s eyes tightened.

“That’s right.”

“Well, in that case, I'll _definitely_ be there. I can't leave you all alone with Edward Sullen.”

Patton ignored the jab at Virgil and smiled. “Great! I’m going to invite Logan, too, so hopefully the whole family will be there.”

“Sounds good.” Roman cleared his throat. He glanced at the door, but didn’t move from his spot in front of the drawers.

Patton bit his lip. “Well, uh, I’d better go see Logan now.” His feet seemed to be glued to the floor, determined not to let him leave.

“Yes, and I should get back to working on, uh...”

“Your project! Yes, I hope it goes well.” He forced a bright smile, mentally instructing his legs to carry him to the door. They finally obliged, but each step felt stiff and unnatural. It didn’t help that his eyes kept glancing back to Roman instead of looking where he was going. When he reached the doorway, he paused. 

“I’ll see you later then, at the, uh, sleepover.”

“Yes, indeed. The sleepover.” Roman still hadn’t moved.

Patton stepped out into the corridor and pulled the door shut behind him, then leaned against the wall and sighed. Why the purple pogo sticks did this only happen around Roman? They were all his friends, all his family, and yet only Roman turned his heart into a jackhammer. He closed his eyes and tried to sort through his emotions, but they were too tangled for him to pick apart.

Shaking his head, he forced himself to focus on what mattered. It was clear something was bothering Roman, but equally clear he didn’t want to discuss it. Patton hoped he would feel comfortable confiding in him eventually. In the meantime, there were the others to worry about. It was time to speak to Logan.

* * * * *

“Logan?”

“Come in.”

Patton pushed open the door and stepped into the room, struck as ever by the sheer academic nerdiness of the place. Everything was systematically arranged for maximum efficiency, files neatly labelled, books carefully alphabetised… It was all so different from Patton’s haphazard collection of nostalgic clutter and Roman’s realm of stories.

Logan sat on his ergonomic leather desk chair like an Architect of Order on his throne. Papers covered with notes and diagrams littered his desk, and amidst them he was reading from a thick tome of some sort.

“What did you want, Patton?” he asked, without looking up from the text.

“Uh, the rest of us are having a sleepover in the living room tonight. Do you want to join us?”

“A sleepover?”

“That’s right.”

“Calling it a sleepover doesn’t make sense when we all live here already.” Logan still hadn’t looked up.

Patton bit his lip. He hadn’t expected enthusiasm, but he couldn’t help worrying about how distant and distracted Logan seemed. “Well, whatever you want to call it, the three of us will be sleeping in the living room tonight.”

“Just sleeping? No silly games or midnight snacks?”

“Just sleeping. It’s to help Virgil. Will you join us?”

Logan glanced up just for a moment and sighed. "I suppose so, if it's to help Virgil sleep."

“Thank you! I’ll, uh, see you later then.”

“Indeed.”

* * * * *

_Fudgsicles_ , with all the emotions that had been swirling around he’d forgotten to caution Roman and Logan not to fight. Although in fairness to Logan, neither he nor Patton had any idea why Roman suddenly snapped.

He had been carefully making a bed for himself to the left of Patton’s – Virgil having already claimed the patch of floor to his right – and as he worked he’d been humming the same tune Patton recognised from their pancake-making session the previous day. A moment later Logan, who had been setting up his own bed perpendicular to the other three, had joined in with the words.

“Longin’ to tell you  
But afrai-”

Roman launched himself across the room and slammed his pillow into Logan’s face, the momentum sending them both crashing down onto his bed.

For a second everyone froze, then Logan pushed both the pillow and Roman away and yelled, “What was that in aid of?!”

Roman’s face was scarlet and his eyes blazed. “What on earth possessed you of all people to suddenly start _singing_?!” he yelled back.

"I thought perhaps you had forgotten the lyrics, and rather than embarrassing you by pointing it out I decided to remind you of them subtly." 

“I know the lyrics perfectly well, I just don’t feel like singing them right now!”

Logan tugged at his pyjamas to straighten them. “How was I to know that for the first time ever you didn’t want to sing? And why should that mean I’m not allowed to?” He narrowed his eyes. “Is this because you li-”

Roman shoved the pillow across his face again.

“Uh, boys?” Patton said hesitantly. The pair whirled around as if they’d only just remembered he and Virgil were there.

Roman’s blush flamed even brighter. “I am _done_!" he cried, grabbing his pillow back from Logan and throwing himself onto his bed, his face turned away from the group. 

"Good", said Logan, "Because I have had more than enough of your irrational outbursts for one day." He sat down on his bed and opened a book, glaring at it with more venom than _Turn Left At Orion_ probably deserved.

Patton directed an apologetic smile at Virgil, who shrugged and got into bed. Pushing his frustration with them far away, the moral side looked around at his beloved family and felt his heart swell with warmth and joy. Then he climbed into his own bed and snapped his fingers to turn off the light.

A string of expletives issued from Logan’s bed, followed by fumbling sounds and then the bright beam of a flashlight.

“No reading in bed, Logan”, Patton told him. “You’ll strain your eyes.”

Logan muttered a few more expletives under his breath, but gave up and extinguished the light. Patton lay on his back and smiled to himself, listening to the soft rhythm of Virgil’s breathing to his right and the occasional sighs from Roman to his left. He wriggled his toes, secure in the awareness that Logan lay only a few inches beyond them. This was the time of night when he would usually say his secret goodnights to them all, but he had a feeling that would embarrass them. He would have to settle for something less mushy. 

“I love you all”, he told them. “You make my heart sing so much it’s like a choir of angels in here! I hope it doesn’t keep you awake. Sleep tight!”

Then he relaxed, half an eye on Virgil, as he drifted off to sleep.


	3. Wednesday Thunder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for this chapter: Virgil has a panic attack and Patton is sad.

On Wednesday morning, Patton left the others still asleep on the living room floor, planning to wake them the best way: with the smell of a delicious breakfast cooking. There was no sign of a note, and although he tried not to feel disappointed he couldn't stop himself checking every cupboard and drawer in the kitchen, just in case. But there was no note to be found.  
_Oh well_ , he told himself, _it couldn't have gone on forever_. He took a deep breath and forced himself to smile, and it did help him to feel a little better. 

“That’s right”, he murmured, “Nothing’s wrong. No reason to feel anxiAHH! Virgil!”

The younger man had arrived silently, and Patton almost collided with him as he turned around.

Virgil raised his eyebrows. “Anything wrong, Pat?”

“No no, nothing at all. How are you feeling today? Did you sleep better?” He was babbling slightly, but being startled would do that to anyone.

“Yeah, thanks. That was actually a pretty good idea you had.”

“Are the others still asleep?”

“Roman’s gone for a shower. Logan went off with his head in a book, saying he didn’t need breakfast.”

“Oh.” Patton felt a second twinge of disappointment. He did so love it when all four of them ate together, even if it sometimes meant arguments at the table. Still, three out of four wouldn’t be bad. “Would you like to help me make breakfast?” he asked Virgil.

“Sorry, but nope. Cooking scares me, too much potential for injury and humiliation. I’ll be back in a bit when I’ve done my makeup.”

Patton waited until he'd gone and then sighed. The day had barely begun, and it was already failing to live up to his hopes. 

 

Things got even worse while they were washing up after breakfast, when a sudden rumble of thunder caused Virgil to drop the plate he was holding and cower on the floor, hands over his ears. Immediately, Patton dried his hands and crouched down beside his friend, trying to suppress his own shaking so Virgil wouldn’t see the thunder bothered him too.

“Try to breathe with me, kiddo”, he said gently. “In for four, hold for seven, out for eight. That's it, keep trying, you've got this, kiddo, we’ll get through it together.”

It took several minutes before the panic subsided enough for Virgil to breathe fully in unison with Patton, but at last they got a rhythm going.

"Now, can you speak?" Patton asked gently.

Virgil shook his head.

"Okay, that's not a problem. Try pointing to three things you can see."

Virgil's eyes were still glazed, but his breathing had settled and he managed to look around at the kitchen. He pointed to the oven, then the washing machine, then Patton's face. 

"That's great. You're doing great, kiddo. Now, how about three things you can feel?"

Gently, Virgil patted the palm of his hand on the cold floor.

"Well done, that's one. What else is there?"

He lightly grasped the chest of his hoodie.

"Excellent, now one more?"

With just the flicker of a ghost of a smile, Virgil reached out and brushed his fingers lightly against Patton's shirt. Patton smiled.

"That's right, kiddo, you did it. Now, do you think you can stand?"

Virgil nodded. Patton stood up and held out both hands, and Virgil took them. Once he was up, they walked through to the living room together, Patton still holding one of his hands.

“Want to build a pillow fort and watch some loud movies?” he asked, and Virgil nodded.

 

They turned half the living room into a fort, with cushions, pillows, blankets, and throws carefully arranged to make a cocoon that muffled the sound of the thunder. Still, they should’ve known better than to put _Mulan_ on and turn up the volume. Within minutes, Roman was there, peering into the fort and grinning.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked. “I take it Cry-kee here is scared of the thunder.”

Virgil growled.

“I don’t like it either”, Patton said quickly, not wanting Virgil to feel singled out. “This storm is just so close and so loud, it makes me shiver.”

“Well, shiver no more, because your local prince is here to save you! Now, who wants a hug?”

Virgil hissed at him, so Roman sat away from him on Patton’s other side. Patton felt a little more confident, sitting between two of his friends and humming along to all the songs. Even so, he hugged his knees tightly, rubbing his arms now and again for subconscious reassurance. Then, as the storm moved closer, a loud crack of thunder made him shudder violently.

Roman slipped a reassuring arm around him and whispered in his ear, “Are you okay there, Patton-Puff?”

Patton nodded, feeling his face heat up and his heart rate suddenly accelerate. It was just the thunder, he told himself, certainly not the flicker of breath on his cheek or the feel of Roman’s strong arm around him. Absolutely, _positively_ the thunder. He fixed his eyes ahead on the television screen, trying to bring his breathing under control.

Another crack split the air, and the arm around him tightened its hold. Surrendering to the deluge of emotions, he closed his eyes and leaned into the prince’s embrace. Roman was just so comfortingly warm and stable, not trembling and nervous like Patton.

He only reopened his eyes when he heard muffled footfalls outside. A moment later, one of the blanket curtains was pushed aside and Logan peered into the fort.

“May I join you?” he asked. “This tempest raging around us is making it difficult to concentrate on my studies.”

“Of course, come on in!” replied Patton.

“Screamboat and the Fluff-Father here were having trouble with the storm”, Roman explained, “So a certain handsome prince stepped in to save them.”

Logan looked from Virgil to Patton and back. “Are you still having trouble with the storm?” he asked. Virgil silently nodded.

“In that case, you need help from someone who is, to quote one of Patton’s beloved cartoons, ‘Strong in the real way.’” He tapped his head.

“ _You_?!” Roman was incredulous. “How are _you_ going to save them?”

“By combating fear with knowledge, that’s how.”

He paused the movie, then produced a large sheet of plain card and a marker pen and began drawing a diagram.

In his annoyance, Roman moved his arm away from Patton, who hugged his knees tighter trying to mitigate the sense of loss.

Logan cleared his throat and pointed at his diagram with the pen.

“Thunderstorms occur when water droplets and ice pellets within a cloud move rapidly, bumping into each other and generating a static electric charge”, he explained. “These ice pellets fall to the lower part of the cloud, carrying negatively charged electrons which accumulate there.

Patton chewed his lip and looked around, finding it hard to focus on what Logan was saying. Roman was glowering towards the frozen image on the TV screen, but his eyes were unfocused and distant. Virgil was looking at the diagram, a small frown of concentration on his face as he tried to follow Logan's explanation. Taking a deep breath and straightening his slumped shoulders, Patton forced his attention back to the science. This was important to two of his friends, and he owed it to them to give it his attention.

"As the negative charge grows”, Logan was continuing, “It discharges electricity to the positively-charged ground below, and a return stroke runs from the ground back to the cloud. This is what we see as lightning. Lightning is extremely hot and each bolt superheats the air around it, which rapidly expands and compresses to create a sonic shock wave we hear as thunder.” He looked at Virgil, eyes serious. “Now, does that help you feel more at ease?"

“Yeah, it does, actually”, replied Virgil. “More than whatever Princey thought he was doing, anyway.”

Roman’s face contorted with annoyance, and he made incoherent offended noises. Patton squeezed his hand and gave him an encouraging smile. “You helped _me_ , Roman”, he told him.

"Oh, uh, any time, Patton", said the prince, turning slightly pink. "Any time at all."

* * * * *

When the storm finally passed, they were called to a video planning session. With work and meals to attend to, it was evening before Patton found time to set about wearily dismantling the pillow fort. It was when he picked up a discarded cushion that he saw the third note, tucked just out of sight as if the author had known he’d be the one to pack up the fort and find it. It was in the same unknown handwriting as before, with his name at the top, but this time it said: _The thunder is nothing to the sound of my heart when you’re near._

Patton felt his face heat up. This note had a distinctly more romantic tone than the previous ones, and he wasn't sure he could dismiss it as someone merely trying to make his day a little brighter. He wondered again who the author might be… It hardly seemed like Logan or Virgil's style, but since when did Roman do anything anonymously? Shaking his head, he pushed the speculation away. Whoever it was would surely let him know eventually. Until then, he would just have to be patient, and to be thankful that someone cared about him so much. He read the note through several times to commit the line to memory, then tucked it carefully into his pocket with the others. 

* * * * *

“Goodnight, Logan, my starlight sage. Goodnight, Roman, my sunshine knight. Goodnight, Virgil, my moonlight warrior”, Patton murmured as he settled down into his bed that night.

It had been a good day, hadn't it, all in all? Yet as he lay there on his back the emotions of the day caught up with him, washing over him, submerging the happier memories beneath a wave of doubts and concerns. The disappointments of the morning came back to him, the tension of masking his fear of the thunder as he tried to keep a brave face for Virgil, the breathlessness he’d felt with Roman’s arm around him…

He forced his mind away from those recollections, but then he began to worry whether Virgil would be able to sleep, now that he was alone again. And would Logan be up all night reading, now he was left to his own devices?

Closing his eyes, he felt the dampness in them squeeze into tears that rolled down over his temples. He clenched his hands, gripping the sheet beneath him, and tried to stop feeling. There were so many conflicting emotions swirling, and he struggled to stop them overwhelming him. But it was hopeless. He was the heart, and he could no more extinguish his emotions than he could explain trigonometry or conjure puppies out of thin air. A choking sound, half bitter laugh, half sob, wrenched itself from his body at the thought. If Logan was the stars, Roman was the sun, and Virgil was the moon, what did that make _him_?

Surrendering to the anguish, he turned onto his side and let the tears flow until he was drained of them, empty like the dark vacuum of space. Only then did sleep envelop him.


	4. Thursday Rainbows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the others busy working on video plans, Patton decides to spend a quiet day alone. Deceit has other ideas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Deceit (although he's not as intimidating as he thinks he is)

Patton rarely wore makeup, but on Thursday morning he carefully applied a layer of concealer to hide the shadows under his eyes. He busied himself in the kitchen getting breakfast, and as soon as he heard the others arriving he plastered a cheerful smile onto his face before turning around to greet them.

_Think happy thoughts, Patton. You need to make this convincing._

* * * * *

He thought he’d pulled it off, but when they’d finished eating, Roman volunteered to help him wash up and lingered behind. As soon as they were alone, seated across the table from one another, he spoke.

“What’s wrong, Patton?”

For a split second, Patton froze. Then he remembered to smile again. “What do you mean, Roman? I’m fine! Never better!”

“Please don’t lie to me, Patton. I can see it in your eyes. They’ve lost their usual sparkle.”

He caught and held Patton’s gaze, and Patton could feel his face heat up and his pulse accelerate. But that was just because he’d been caught out, wasn’t it?

He couldn’t lie, not when Roman held such concern in his eyes. He let the smile fade. “I think I tried a bit too hard yesterday”, he admitted. “I forced myself to seem calm and happy, for Virgil’s sake, but…it took a lot out of me. And then when I was alone in my room, I just...crumbled.”

“Patton...” Roman reached across the table and took his hands. Patton swallowed.

“I think I know some of what Virgil feels, sometimes”, he said, his voice catching in his throat. “When I haven’t done well handling my emotions during the day, they tend to catch up to me at night.”

Roman’s thumbs were gently rubbing the backs of his hands now, and Patton could feel tears pricking in his eyes once more. He took a deep breath and blinked them away.

“I’m usually fine!” he insisted. “Almost always! Just...not last night.” He gave the prince a watery smile. “But I’m doing much better now. I’m sure today will be a good day, so please don’t waste time worrying about me.

He took his hands away and began collecting together the breakfast things to wash up. Roman put a hand on his arm and he paused, their eyes meeting again.

“Patton”, said Roman, “Drowning in the darkness of the night, we can forget the light of morning. But please, when you see only darkness ahead, come and find me. I will never consider time spent with you to be wasted.”

* * * * *

Patton had planned a quiet day, knowing Roman and Logan would be working hard on a video and Virgil would be hanging around them pointing out potential problems. As he often did on days like this, he had decided to bake a batch of fresh cookies for them all to enjoy later as a reward for their hard work. And it seemed his mystery admirer knew the routine, because it was when he got out the rolling pin to roll the cookie dough that he found the fourth note waiting there for him.

This one was on multicolour paper and read: _When it rains, you are my rainbow_. Patton felt the mushy grin spread across his face once more.

_Ohmygosh_ , it was adorable. This note was his favourite one yet! Whoever this mystery man was, if he wrote lines like that Patton knew he would love him. He would love anyone who made his heart feel like it had been filled with sunshine and glitter in this way.

Roman seemed the most likely one to write about rainbows. He really hoped it was Roman… He hugged himself, giggling happily at the thought, but then a sudden chill ran through him as a far less pleasant idea sprouted. What if it wasn’t any of his friends? What if it was someone else? Someone playing a nasty game with him, building his hopes up ready to smash them back down.

Where your trust wavers, that’s where the snake gets in.

_He_ rarely appeared in the kitchen. Perhaps that’s because it was Patton’s comfort zone almost as much as his room was, a place he felt safe, secure, at ease. And when that feeling wavered, suddenly _he_ was there, ready to strike.

“That’s right, I wrote you the notes.”

Patton whirled around and glared at the figure in black, standing there in a suddenly shadowy corner. “You did?” he asked, trying to get a grip on his emotions, now threatening to spiral out of control.

“Of course. After all, I love you, none of the others do.”

_He’s lying_ , Patton reminded himself, quashing the twinge of pain he felt at the words. _He always lies_. So it wasn’t Deceit who’d written the notes. That eliminated the most likely ‘dark’ suspect, but not the only one. He seemed to know who the writer was, though, so perhaps Patton could learn more if he asked the right questions.

_Think, Patton, what would Logan or Virgil say to trip him up? Something smart or sarcastic. Well_ fiddlesticks _, that’s not going to work. Gotta do things my way. Think like a dad dealing with a stubborn child who insists it’s Opposite Day._

“I’d like a chat about this, so could you sit down in de-seat there for a minute?”

“De- _seat?_ ” Deceit shuddered.

The fatherly side gave him a winning smile. “That’s right!”

“I like you _very much_ ”, Deceit spat, but he pulled out the nearest chair and sat down, scowling.

“Now, do you know who’s been writing these notes to me?”

“No, but I _will_ tell you.”

_Hmm_. Patton frowned, playing the words over in his mind and untwisting them to find the true meaning. “Was it one of my friends?” he asked.

“No, it most certainly wasn’t.”

Patton nodded. “I see, I see.” He smiled brightly, feeling the last of the tension drain out of him. “Well, I’d better get back to baking these cookies! Would you like me to save some for you?”

“No, I hate your cookies, they repulse me.”

“Okay then, I’ll give them all to my friends!”

Deceit’s shoulders sagged. “That’s...good. Because I certainly don’t want any. I hate your cooking.”

“Well, if you didn’t write the notes and you don’t want any cookies, I guess you’d better get going!”

Deceit stood up and vanished with a swish of his cape and a disgruntled glare. Patton tucked the newest note carefully into his pocket with the others and set about rolling the cookie dough. This time, he decided, he would make heart-shaped cookies. Heart-shaped cookies with rainbow icing, now he knew for sure the note-writer really did care for him. Unconsciously, he began humming a Disney medley as he worked. 

* * * * *

Patton busied himself with housework until Roman and Virgil wandered in at the usual time, bickering amicably about progress on the video. Patton smiled to himself, knowing the lack of aggression between them was a sign the work had gone well.

Roman's face lit up when he saw the rainbow cookies waiting for them. "Patton, they look astounding!" he gushed, "You've certainly outdone yourself this time!" 

Patton felt a radiant glow ignite in his chest and spread rapidly outwards to warm his whole body, out to his fingertips, down to his toes, and up to turn his face pink.

“Awww”, he said, the mushy smile the notes usually brought returning with a vengeance. “You’re so sweet, thank you!”

“Bit garish, if you ask me”, said Virgil, rolling his eyes, but to Patton’s delight his apparent lack of enthusiasm was undermined by the fact he ate three.

“Where’s Logan?” Patton asked, when they’d were sitting munching cookies and their fourth friend still hadn’t appeared.

Roman waved a hand, scattering crumbs. “He went straight to his room”, he said vaguely. “Said he had studying to do.”

“Hmm.” Logan had been doing far too much studying lately, if you asked Patton.

* * * * *

He found Logan in his room half an hour later, sitting at his desk taking notes from yet another thick book.

“I’ve brought you tea and cookies”, Patton told him, putting down the tray. “Are you studying again?”

"I have a great deal to do. Unlike Roman and Virgil, I am heavily involved not only in making videos but also in Thomas' scheduling and studies." Logan's eyes never left the text, his pen continuing its ceaseless movement across the page of notes.

Patton frowned at him, not that he noticed. “I do understand that, but you need to chill!”

“On the contrary, my current temperature is already optimal. Any lower would require me to compromise my aesthetic by putting on a sweater.”

Patton began tapping his foot on the velvet pile carpet. "Okay, I don't know if you're being sarcastic, but take a _break_ , Logan! Before _you_ break! When was the last time you rested?”

Logan considered, pausing in his writing but still not looking up. “Tuesday night”, he said after a moment, “When you wouldn’t let me read in bed.” He resumed his writing once more.

Patton narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to examine his friend’s face. Now that he looked, it was hard to miss the drained, pale complexion or the purple shadows under his eyes. He straightened back up, frowning.

“You haven’t slept since then? But you’ve told me yourself that’s bad for, uh...concentration and productivity, right?”

“I’m perfectly well aware of the benefits of sleep. Nevertheless, given my present workload, I’ve taken the decision to forgo relaxation until it is completed.”

Patton crammed one hand in his pocket and combed the other through his hair, making an exasperated "Mmmnnngh!" sound behind his pursed lips. Logan's hand froze mid-word. At last he looked up and met Patton's eyes, noticing for the first time the glint of exasperation there, and suddenly realising he had stretched the moral side's patience too far. He dropped the pen, raising both palms in surrender. 

“I’ll have my tea and cookies now”, he said flatly.

“You’ll have them in the living room.”

“I’ll have them in the living room.”

Obediently, he let Patton shepherd him out to the corridor, down the stairs, and over to sit on the couch. Patton carried the tray and placed it on the coffee table in front of him, then sat and watched him sip and munch his way through the snack.

When he had finished, Patton gave a nod of satisfaction. “Now you can go back to your room and study”, he said. “For two hours and _only_ two hours, Logan Sanders! I _will_ be timing you. You can have another two hours after dinner, and then you _will_ get some sleep tonight!”

“But...”

“Two hours, Logan.”

He watched Logan heading to the stairs and sighed. "You and Virgil are as bad as each other at self-care", he said. "I should shut you in a room together until you both get some sleep." 

For a second, Logan froze. Then he continued up the stairs without looking back.

* * * * *

With Logan settled there was dinner to prepare, dinner to eat, and then washing up to organise. Roman had an evening of brainstorming planned, and Logan and Virgil wandered upstairs deep in conversation, leaving Patton to his own devices at last. He settled himself on the couch to watch _Parks and Recreation_ , but then the busy day began to catch up with him. It became more and more difficult to keep his head from resting against the back of the couch, and his eyelids felt like heavy shutters continually trying to fall. As the credits rolled, he decided to lie down just for a few minutes... 

Some time later, he was dimly aware of a soft, fluffy blanket being wrapped around him and strong arms lifting him up. Half-opening his eyes, he tried to identify the man carrying him. His glasses were gone and his vision was bleary with sleep, but he could definitely see a red sash. Resting his head contentedly against Roman’s shoulder, Patton let peaceful sleep overtake him.


	5. Friday Butterflies

Patton woke the next morning on his bed, with the blanket still wrapped around him and a heart full of Disney songs. He rolled over, sighing contentedly at the memory of the previous evening, and reached for his glasses. They were in the usual place on his bedside table, and putting them on he noticed a piece of paper resting there. 

_You set a kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttering inside me_ , it read, and multi-coloured butterflies had been drawn flitting around the words.

The words gave Patton butterflies of his own, and the fact the note was in his room made him wonder if Roman had left it there the night before. He would have to thank the prince for putting him to bed and give him back the blanket. Too bad, because it smelled comfortingly of Roman and he was reluctant to lose it.

* * * * *

He took his time getting up, too wrapped up in softness and happy dreams to want to move. When he finally went downstairs, he arrived in the kitchen to find the others had already eaten. Only Logan remained, drinking a leisurely second cup of coffee as he read through the morning’s news.

“Is Roman around?” Patton asked, keeping his voice casual.

Logan shook his head. "He's in his room preparing for some sort of quest, now that the video's finished." 

“Oh.” Patton tried not to feel disappointed, but quests could sometimes keep Roman away all day. Still, if he wasn’t going to be around for meals… “Do you think he’d like it if I made him a packed lunch?” he asked.

Logan looked up and raised his eyebrows. “I’m sure he’d be happy with anything you do for him”, he replied.

 _Hmm._ Patton got out a loaf of bread, put two slices in the toaster for his breakfast and began buttering more as he considered what kind of sandwiches to make for Roman. And perhaps a tub of pasta would be a good idea, in case he wasn’t back for dinner? Time did strange things in his realm, and he was inclined to get caught up in quests and forget the more mundane rhythms of everyday life.

He continued preparing the packed lunch, humming the same tune he kept hearing from the prince. Perhaps he should ask Logan the lyrics. Logan knew so many things...

But wait, there was something else Logan would know.

“Hey, Logan”, he said, “What do you call a group of cats?”

Logan looked up at him. “Well, the usual collective noun is a clowder”, he replied, “Although there are various others...” He frowned suddenly. “Wait, is this leading up to a dad joke?”

Patton laughed. “Nope! Although come to think of it, a cat-alogue would be the best name for them! I’m just curious, though. Tell me some others. What’s a group of rabbits called?”

“A colony”, replied Logan.

“Squirrels?”

“A dray, or a scurry.”

“That’s so cute! What about butterflies?”

“Most commonly a swarm, as with other insects, but variants include a flutter and a kaleidoscope.” Logan frowned. “Patton, what are you making that noise for?”

“I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!” squealed Patton. “Or rather, I _didn’t_ know it, or I wouldn't have asked you, but I _knew_ it!”

Logan sighed wearily. "I'd point out the logical inconsistency in that statement", he said, "But you appear to have stopped listening to me.

Patton was gazing dreamily into the distance. Did this mean _Logan_ was his mystery admirer, after all? If so, he was very good at hiding it. Patton wondered how he’d feel if it were Logan, or any of them. He tried to imagine Logan kissing him lightly on the cheek, Virgil hugging him from behind, Roman sweeping him up bridal style and…

“Patton”, said Logan, tapping him on the shoulder, “Why are you blushing like that?”

Patton squeaked and leapt away from him, coming back to reality with a jolt. "N-No p-particular reason!" he stuttered. "Um, gotta go! See you!" He grabbed the packed lunch and sank out quickly, leaving Logan gazing in bewilderment at the spot where he had been.

* * * * *

He popped up in the corridor outside Roman's door and raised his hand to knock, but then he hesitated. His face still felt uncomfortably warm, and his heart was pounding far too quickly to cope with facing the prince. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then placed the lunch box on the floor. Straightening up once more, he braced himself and knocked, then dived into his own room and slammed the door behind him. He leaned back against the cool, solid wood and sighed, ears alert for any sound from the corridor. He heard the muffled click of a door opening.

“Patton?” Roman’s voice called softly.

Patton closed his eyes and bit his lip, holding his breath. After a moment there was another click as the other door shut. Silently he reprimanded himself for passing up the chance to see Roman's smile and wish him luck on his quest, but it was too late now. If only he hadn’t let himself get so flustered over a silly daydream.

* * * * *

It was almost noon before a few seconds of elevated air pressure and stifling heat indicated that Roman had activated his latest quest. Patton looked at his clock and sighed. The others could get their own lunch for once; he wasn’t hungry.

There was a strange knot in his stomach that robbed him of his appetite and made it difficult to focus. He paced his room restlessly, moving from bed to chair and back again, waves of emotion ebbing and flowing within him. He still felt happy about the note, but now there was sadness at knowing he probably wouldn’t see Roman all day, anger at himself for not having seen him off properly, and frustration at having been so emotional – at _still_ being so emotional.

 

Shortly before dinnertime, there was a short, sharp knock on his door and a voice called, “Patton, are you in there?”

Patton was at the door in a moment, grateful for any distraction, and he opened it to find Logan standing there. The logical side shifted his weight from one foot to the other and fiddled with his glasses.

“I was wondering if you would accept my help with preparing dinner today”, he said, not quite meeting Patton’s eyes.

Patton’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. “Um, that would be nice...if you wouldn’t mind”, he said. It must have been years since Logan had volunteered to give up his time to help cook. Not that Patton minded, but this abrupt offer was slightly disorienting.

Logan was unperturbed by his reaction. “What were you planning to make?” he asked.

Patton looked at the floor and shrugged. “I haven’t thought about it yet”, he admitted. “I’m not feeling very organised today.

“Then that’s all the more reason for me to assist.”

 

When they reached the kitchen, Patton had another surprise. Virgil was sitting on the worktop, kicking his heels against the cupboard door below and moving his head slightly to music only he could hear. When he saw the others arrive, he took off his headphones and sniffed.

“Thought I could help you make dinner”, he told Patton. “Maybe do some of the least hazardous bits, anyway.” He rubbed the back of his head.

Patton blinked at him. “Are you sure you want to?” he asked.

Virgil shrugged and slid down onto the floor. “Not like I’ve got anything better to do.”

 

With Patton’s experience, Logan’s meticulous attention to the recipe, and Virgil’s constant vigilance, the meal turned out far better than the still-distracted moral side would have managed alone. Just the aroma of it was enough to remind him uncomfortably of the fact he’d skipped lunch, and by the time it was dished up his stomach was issuing impatient grumbles.

He was so hungry that he managed seven whole mouthfuls before his stomach tied itself back into a knot and his mind returned to wondering where Roman was, what he was doing, whether he was safe, and when he would be back.

Forcing his attention away from continually replaying the same concerns, he focused instead on the friends there at the table with him. There was something different in the way they were interacting with each other. Virgil sat next to Logan almost as often as he did Patton, but whereas before they had always behaved as distinct units, now they seemed to bleed subtly into each other’s personal space. Searching their body language for any clue as to what was different, he noticed something else that had changed from earlier in the week. The realisation lightened the knot inside him, and his face relaxed into a smile.

“You’re both looking much healthier”, he said. “Did you sleep well last night?”

Virgil choked on his mouthful of pasta.

Logan adjusted his tie. “Indeed”, he said, “While I cannot speak for Virgil, I myself had a full eight hours of sleep last night and I do feel a great deal better for it. Thank you.”

His thanks seemed to be directed at the room in general, his unfocused gaze on the empty fourth space at the table. Still, he never had been comfortable expressing gratitude. Patton turned his attention to Virgil, who was now focusing intently on his meal. While his makeup hid the state of his complexion, there was a brightness in his eyes and an alertness to his posture that suggested for once he wasn’t tired. And for some unfathomable reason, the tips of his ears were pink.

 

Despite his best efforts, throughout the meal Patton’s eyes kept glancing unbidden to the empty seat beside him. Somehow it just wasn’t the same without Roman there, brightening the room with his passion and enthusiasm. Suppressing a sigh, Patton picked up another forkful of mince and forced himself to eat it. He was aware that it tasted delicious, but distantly, as though he’d developed a disconnect between his physical and mental enjoyment of it.

He looked up when he heard Logan murmur something softly to Virgil. The anxious side shrugged, his expression reluctant, but at last he spoke.

“Uh, you okay there, Dad?”

Patton forced the corners of his mouth up into a smile. “I’m fine, kiddo”, he said, “Just a little worried about Roman. It took him all morning to get ready, so the quest he’s designed must be a big one this time.”

Virgil’s face contorted. “He’ll...probably be fine?” he said haltingly, clearly torn between his desire to reassure Patton and his own anxious nature. “I mean, he’s normally fine, right? Logan, help me out here.”

Logan sighed. “What our overly cautious friend is trying to say is that there’s no cause for alarm. While nothing is guaranteed, previous experience suggests Roman will likely be back in time to join us for breakfast tomorrow, at which point he will no doubt regale us with lengthy and hyperbolic descriptions of his own heroism.”

Patton took a deep breath and slowly released it. While he would have liked to be told Roman was guaranteed to be back safe and well within the next few hours, he appreciated his friends’ efforts to reassure him in their own ways. Neither of them was accustomed to offering moral support to Morality, and he loved them all the more for having tried.

* * * * *

He went to bed early, eager for the night to pass and the morning to come, bringing Roman back with it. He would cook something special for breakfast, he decided. Something to make Roman feel at home after his travels through the realm of the imagination. Smiling at the thought, he whispered his goodnights.

"Goodnight, Logan, my clockwork hero. Goodnight, Roman, my soldier of ideas. Goodnight, Virgil, my misunderstood warrior.”


	6. Saturday Clouds

_The hot sand crunched and shifted under his feet as he trudged towards an oasis. With each step more of his energy seemed to soak away into the sand below, just as yet more sweat soaked into his clothes. Once again, he cursed himself for having made the sun this hot and the desert this vast. The dry air parched his throat more with every gasped lungful, increasing his desperate longing for cool water._

_Gritting his teeth, he fixed his eyes ahead once more. He was brave, he was strong, he could do this. The oasis grew closer with every weary footfall, and his hand moved unbidden to feel the reassuring presence of his sword hilt at his belt. He was so close now. Soon, the water would quench his thirst and soothe his skin. Soon, he would slay the beast terrorising all those who depended on this watering hole. It would be swift and easy, and then he could go home. Home, to a comfortable bed, a delicious meal, and Patton’s smile…_

_Wait, what?_

* * * * *

Patton woke on Saturday morning drenched with sweat and with a strange sense of foreboding. Fragments of a dream seared across his mind and then dissolved. A desert, heat, sand… It was rare for his dreams to be fantasies rather than jumbled memories, but now when he tried to recall it he could no longer grasp the threads.

There was no sign of Roman anywhere. Neither Logan nor Virgil had seen him and his door was still locked, indicating he hadn't yet returned from his quest. Forcing his shoulders back to hide his disappointment from the others, Patton decided to postpone his special breakfast plans for another day. He was restless and distracted as he went through his morning routine, half an eye always on the clock. 9 o'clock passed, then 10 o'clock. The hands of his watch seemed to be moving through molasses. Roman had never been away for this long without warning before… He sighed, forcing himself to focus once more on the task at hand. 

Around 10:30, an agonised scream rang abruptly through the mindscape and Patton’s blood ran cold. He knew it was Roman – knew from the way his heart clenched and his whole body began to shake uncontrollably. All thoughts were torn from his mind’s grasp like papers in a hurricane. Pulse hammering deafeningly in his ears, he sprinted to Roman’s room. He stood before the wooden door, dimly aware of the others arriving, of Logan calculating angles and then kicking the door just _so_. Of the door flying open and them all rushing in together.

Of finding Roman collapsed on the floor, his jacket and trousers singed and torn, revealing red, blistered skin. He looked like he'd burned, but the marks ran in lines along both arms, down his left leg, and across his chest.

Together, they carried him out and down the stairs to the living room. With all their attention on Roman, they never thought to investigate further into his room.

They never even thought to close the door.

* * * * *

Roman regained consciousness about ten minutes later, lying on the couch. Patton was holding his hand, Virgil was bathing his forehead, and Logan was frowning as he examined the injuries.

“What on earth caused wounds like that?” he asked.

“It was a fire squid”, was the sheepish reply.

“A _fire squid_?” Logan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Roman, why do you insist on creating these ridiculous monsters if they’re going to hurt you like this?”

“Now don’t you be mean to Roman”, Patton told him. “I’m sure that whatever he did, he had a good reason for it.”

Logan looked at Roman and raised his eyebrows, an unspoken question. Roman looked away.

“He doesn’t seem eager to explain himself.”

Patton glared at Logan, Protective Mode activating. “If you can’t be nice to him, go away so you won’t upset him”, he said.

Logan sighed. “You know how to treat burns, don’t you, Patton?”

Patton nodded. He hated when anyone was injured, but he knew plenty of first aid. It came with the dad territory.

Logan nodded and sank out, knowing the prince would be fine.

“I’ll, uh, leave you two alone, then”, said Virgil, scratching the back of his head awkwardly and then heading back upstairs.

Patton gave Roman an apologetic smile. “Would you like me to bathe those wounds for you?” he asked.

“Please, if you don’t mind.” Roman sighed. “Logan had a point, you know”, he admitted, as Patton brought some cool water and gauze. “I only did it to try and prove to myself that I’m brave, and _now_ look at me.”

Patton shook his head. “You’re the bravest person I know”, he assured Roman, carefully treating the burns on his left arm. “And you don’t need to prove it, so no more putting yourself in danger when you don’t need to.”

He knew the injuries would heal within twenty-four hours, but that wouldn’t make them any less painful while they lasted. Besides, he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing, not while his prince was suffering.

* * * * *

The creature slithered its way slowly along the corridor and down the stairs. Each of its tentacles was approximately the length of any of the Sides’ legs and lined with dozens of suckers, each of which left a singed mark where it contacted the carpet.

Patton’s attention was focused entirely on Roman, so it was the prince who first spotted it heading towards them. He cried out a warning, unable to keep the fear from his voice. Patton looked up, taking the shout for one of pain, then followed Roman’s gaze. Instantly he whipped around, standing as he turned, arms flung wide, glaring daggers at the creature.

“Stay back!” he yelled at it, “I won’t let you hurt him!”

"Patton, you don't have to do this!" Roman pleaded. He tried to stand, but his leg gave way and he slumped back onto the couch.

“I _will_ do this”, Patton said fiercely. “No one gets to hurt someone I love! Roman, give me your sword!”

Silently, open-mouthed, Roman conjured the sword and handed it over.

Patton stood firmly between the prince and the monster, heart pounding, ready to strike if it attacked. He hated the thought of harming any creature, but rather this thing be hurt than his Roman. Even so, to end the stand-off he needed to call in the cavalry. 

“Logan!” he shouted, “Virgil!” Get back in here, right this minute, please!”

The other two sides appeared immediately and stood staring at the monster.

“That’s an octopus”, said Logan after a moment.

“What?” said Roman.

"It's patently an octopus, not a squid. You can tell by the rounded head. A squid's head would be more elongated and triangular. It would also have..." 

“Not the time, Logan!”, Virgil interrupted, a hint of panic in his voice. “What are we gonna do with it?!”

Logan frowned. “We need an octopus pot. Preferably heatproof, judging by the marks it’s left on the floor and on Roman.”

Virgil grimaced and turned to the prince. “Can you summon one?” he asked.

Roman looked away. “I don’t think I currently have the energy”, he confessed.

“Logan?”

The logical side closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and a large pot appeared on the floor in front of him. The octopus ignored it.

“Now what?” asked Virgil.

Logan fiddled with his glasses. "There's some fish in the pot for bait. I believe we should stay calm and still, so the creature loses interest in us and goes after that."

“How long is that gonna take? ‘Cause it’s burning a hole in the carpet.”

“Impossible to predict. And of course, I’ve had to make an assumption based on the behaviour and feeding habits of normal octopodes. I have no idea what a _fire_ octopus would eat.”

“Barbecued princes, by the looks of it”, Virgil offered unhelpfully.

Roman made a strangled noise at the back of his throat, which unfortunately drew the creature’s attention to him. Antagonised by the sight of its recent enemy, it launched itself towards him with surprising speed. 

Patton’s protective instincts kicked in instantly and he slashed wildly at it with the sword, opening a shallow but painful gash in its side. Immediately it shrank back and retreated into the pot for safety. Logan snapped his fingers and a lid appeared, sealing it inside. He looked at Virgil, and without a word they seized the pot together and sank out with it, leaving Patton frozen in place, sword still clutched in his trembling hands.

Roman slowly released a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding, then leaned forward to touch Patton gently on the arm. 

“It’s gone”, he said softly. “We’re safe now. You were amazing.”

The sword slipped from Patton’s hands and he dropped to the floor beside it, shaking uncontrollably. Wincing slightly, Roman carefully twisted himself around and slid off the couch. He inched his way forward to crouch beside Patton and put his arms around him. When the shaking subsided, they helped each other to stand and move awkwardly back to collapse onto the couch.

“Are you okay?” Roman asked.

Patton took a deep breath and smiled at him. “I’m fine now”, he said. The smile dropped, giving way to concern. “How are you? Are you in pain?”

Roman winced again and gave him a half-smile. “I’ll live. I can’t say it doesn’t hurt, but I can feel the healing beginning already.” He sighed. “The wounds to my ego will linger for much longer.”

Patton tilted his head to one side. “Because you were hurt and needed our help?” he asked.

“Yes, but also because this whole stupid situation was my fault. Do you remember the other day when Logan was talking about the Kalahari Desert?”

Patton nodded.

“Well I was in a bad mood and wanted to create a new quest for myself, so I made a Calamari Desert with terrestrial fire squid.” He glanced sheepishly at Patton. “It wasn’t exactly a good pun. And as Logan pointed out, I didn’t even make the squid properly.”

Patton stared at him, eyes widening as he processed what he was hearing. Then it hit him.

“A dad joke?” he cried, grabbing Roman’s shoulders and leaning forward, their faces almost touching. “You nearly got yourself killed for a _dad joke_?! I’m so proud of you! And also horrified! Don’t _ever_ do that again.”

Faced with the intensity of his gaze, Roman turned red and swallowed. “Believe me, I won’t”, he said with conviction.

Suddenly realising the position they were in, Patton scooted backwards and looked away, face as red as Roman’s. “Well that’s alright then”, he said. “And…everything worked out this time, so that’s good.” He laughed, a little too loudly.

Roman leaned his head back against the couch and looked at the ceiling. “You saved me”, he said at last. “It went to attack me, and...you saved me. I still can’t believe you did that.”

“I didn’t want to hurt it”, said Patton, staring at his feet. “But...I couldn’t let it attack you again. I did what I had to do.”

“But you’re afraid of _spiders_ , Patton! And _thunder_!” Roman turned back to stare at him.

“Thunder hurts my ears, but it wouldn’t hurt my friends!” Patton told him. “The fire squid might’ve!

Roman shook his head in wonder. “You never cease to amaze me”, he said.

Patton felt his face heat up even more. "I-I'm going to fetch more gauze", he said, heading to the kitchen. He stayed there for a few minutes, washing his face and calming his breathing before going back to the living room.

Silently, he went back to dressing Roman’s wounds, keeping his head down and trying to ignore how close they were together. He could sense Roman watching him, but didn’t dare look to see his expression.

* * * * *

A short time later, Logan and Virgil returned and the three of them helped Roman up to his room, where they checked that no more creatures could break through and then settled him onto his bed. Showering and changing his clothes could wait until morning, when he would be close to fully healed.

Leaving him to sleep, they made their way slowly back downstairs together and flopped on the couch. Logan put on a soothing documentary about the formation of stars, and they did their best to focus on that instead of the afternoon's events. It was only when the documentary was over, and they were thinking of heading to bed, that Virgil noticed a folded piece of paper tucked half out of sight between two cushions.

“Huh? What’s this?” he asked, starting to unfold it, but Patton snatched it from his hands with uncharacteristic roughness.

“I think that’s for me!” he gabbled, shuffling away from the others to read it privately. “Yup! Definitely me! Well, I’m off to bed now, if you kiddos don’t mind.”

Logan raised his eyebrows. “If you say so, Patton. And please, don’t rush to get up tomorrow. You’ve had a taxing day. I’ll check on Roman in the morning, so you can focus on trying to rest.”

Paper still clutched tightly in his hand, Patton gave a quick nod and then ran upstairs. As soon as he was in his room, he leaned against the back of the door and re-read the note. _You are the silver lining to all my cloudy days_ , it said. He couldn't see how anyone but Roman could have left it on the couch without him noticing. And if it was Roman, that meant... 

Thinking hard, he changed into his cat onesie and got ready for bed. He didn’t seem likely to get much sleep, but he was determined to at least try. Lying back, he whispered his goodnights.

“Goodnight, Logan, my smart cookie. Goodnight, Roman, my dream prince. Goodnight, Virgil, my precious shadowling.”

Then exhaustion overwhelmed emotion, and he slept.


	7. Sunday Honey

There was no note at breakfast time on Sunday. Of course, theoretically, it could have been due to the sombre mood among the group gathered around the kitchen table. It wasn't necessarily because Roman was still in bed recuperating. That's what Patton reminded himself, anyway. 

“I checked in on Roman”, Logan told him and Virgil. "I took him some porridge for breakfast, and he managed to eat it all without assistance. He should only require a couple more hours to be back to full health.”

Patton gave him a watery smile, distracted by thoughts of his own. It was strange how conflicted he felt at the thought of Logan looking after Roman. He should have been happy about them getting along, and he was really, but… He still wished he could have done it himself. Prepared a nourishing breakfast and then watched as the prince enjoyed eating it. Sat on the edge of his bed and asked how he was feeling. Been shown the fading scars and seen first hand how well he was healing.

But it had been kind of Logan to volunteer. It showed compassion and concern, and Patton was grateful for that. He just wished the heavy feeling in his chest would ease and let his appetite come back.

For a while, the only sounds were the scrape of knives on toast, the clink of mugs on the table, and the other daily breakfast rhythms that always helped Patton to feel calmer. At last, the fog in his mind began to clear, thoughts of the friends at the table with him finally filtering through his hazy introspection. 

He forced the best smile he could muster. “How have you been sleeping, Virgil?” he asked. To his surprise, the anxious side looked away, shuffling in his seat.

“Uh… Better?” he said at last, scratching the side of his head and grimacing.

“Well that’s good!” said Patton, a hint of genuine cheer warming him. “I’m glad.”

"Yeah..." Virgil glanced at Logan, who gave him a small nod. "In fact, Logan's kind of helped me out there." 

“Oh?”

"I couldn't sleep again on Wednesday night, after we all went back to our own rooms. But, uh, Logan realised, and he helped me decorate the ceiling with glowing stars. He arranged them into constellations and helped me memorise the names. That way when I can't sleep, I can look up at the stars and focus on identifying the constellations to calm myself down.

“That sounds neat! Does it help?”

Virgil scratched the back of his head. “Uh, probably?” he said.

“Probably?” Patton cocked his head to one side.

“Well...” Virgil’s gaze was fixed on the wooden tabletop, “I haven’t actually slept in my room since we put them up on Thursday.”

Patton frowned. “You haven’t? But I thought you’d been sleeping better?”

Virgil shifted in his seat. "I have, but... I've been sleeping in Logan's room." 

“Oh. _Oh_!” Patton’s eyes widened.

Virgil held up his hands. “Whoa, wait, it’s not like that, okay? I mean, it’s not _not_ like that, but it’s not like that.”

“Gonna have to help me out here, kiddo. What _is_ it like?”

Logan cleared his throat. “What Virgil is trying to say is that the two of us have established a mutually beneficial arrangement whereby we provide each other with non-physical companionship at night.” He glanced at Virgil, who gave a flicker of a smile. “Well, _mostly_ non-physical. We have been known to hold hands for a while. And we did go as far as sharing a bed last night, after what happened yesterday.” He paused and adjusted his tie. “It was...reassuring.”

Virgil pulled his hood down as far as he could to cover his red face, as Patton clasped his hands together in delight.

“That’s adorable!” he exclaimed. “Whatever it is, it’s adorable!”

Logan cleared his throat again. “Indeed”, he said, “I help Virgil to manage his anxiety, while he is ever-vigilant to ensure I don’t overwork myself.

"I help get his mind off his work when he takes breaks", mumbled Virgil from within his hood. 

Somewhere deep inside Patton, a small knot of tension unravelled and disappeared. They were helping each other. Perhaps there had been a time when that would have made him feel unneeded, but here and now it gave him the freedom to focus his attention elsewhere, onto someone who maybe, possibly, did need him.

* * * * *

Once they'd finished the washing up, he went back to his room to think. The likelihood of the notes having come from Logan or Virgil had dwindled from small to vanishingly so. With the unfriendly dark sides long eliminated, that left just one candidate. He lay back on his bed and gazed at the ceiling, letting reflections and emotions drift through him. 

At about 10:30 he heard the rustle of paper, and sat up as a note was pushed under his door. It was in the same handwriting as the others and said: _Please come to the kitchen as soon as possible._

Heart pounding, Patton made his way to the kitchen. A new note was waiting for him on the counter, leaning against a vase of red chrysanthemums. _Your kiss would be sweeter than fresh honey cakes_ , it read, and beside it sat a plate on which there were, indeed, two honey cakes.

Hearing a small sound, he turned to find Roman leaning against the door frame, watching him. If there had been any doubt left, it vanished at the half-hopeful, half-apologetic look on the prince’s face.

“These are from you”, Patton said. It was a simple statement of fact.

Roman nodded and moved to take a seat at the table. “Please sit”, he said, “I have something important to say to you.”

Wordlessly, Patton sat down opposite him. The prince took a deep breath, unable to meet his gaze. “I felt like such a _coward_ ”, he confessed, looking down at the floor, “Only able to tell you anonymously how I feel. That’s why I devised that ridiculous quest, to prove to myself I could still be brave.” He sighed. “And of course _that_ was a _disaster_.”

Patton offered him a hand and he took it, gently rubbing his thumb over the knuckles.

“And then just when I was feeling an utter fraud as a knight, you stepped in and reminded me what true courage is. You faced your fears to protect those you care for, and I realised then that I must face mine. And rejection has always been my biggest fear.”

Roman stood up and began pacing the floor, a small, rueful smile on his face. "They were all me, you know", he continued. "I left all those silly little notes, telling myself I was being romantic, while in reality I was just trying to avoid telling you my feelings myself. If I had been truly brave, I would have at least used my normal handwriting."

“You _are_ brave and they _weren’t_ silly”, Patton insisted, standing up himself and grabbing the prince’s hand, feeling a tingling in his chest at the confirmation of what, deep down, he’d already known. “Those notes were adorable, and they made me very happy. _You_ made me very happy! So stop putting yourself down!”

The prince laughed, blushing slightly. “Or what? You’ll physically fight me?”

Patton shook his head. “Or I’ll kiss you until you believe how much I love you!”

Roman's blush deepened from pink to red, and he turned, sliding his hands around Patton's waist. "That's no good as a threat", he said. "Not when it sounds so much fun." 

Patton’s blush matched the prince’s now, and he bit his lip feeling suddenly timid. “Are you sure...” He hesitated. “Are you sure you really…”

Roman frowned and tilted his head to one side. “Why wouldn’t I be sure, Patton?”

“Because you’re a dreamy Disney prince and I’m just a silly airhead with too many feelings.”

“Patton, you’re...” Roman rubbed the back of his neck. “Ugh, Logan was wrong, you know. This isn’t easy for me to say, but… _You’re_ the one who’s strong in the real way. Stronger than me, stronger than any of us.”

Patton shook his head. "Virgil constantly battles against his own mind to try and protect us. Logan puts his happiness on the line to keep us healthy and organised. The two of them together keep us all alive." He smiled, meeting Roman's eyes. "And you make our lives worth living. You give us joy, and dreams, and hope for the future. All _I_ do is love you all so much it hurts."

“Hmm...” Roman’s lips quirked into a half-smile. “Do you love us all in the same way?”

“I used to think I did, but...” Patton took a deep breath before continuing. “With the others I love them as my family, but with you...”

“With me?” Roman prompted gently.

Patton grinned. “Turns out I have romantic feelings for the romantic side.”

Roman chuckled. “Well _that’s_ a relief, I can tell you! I hope the notes have made my own feelings clear?”

“Yes!” Patton said, but then his smile faded and his gaze dropped to the floor. "I still don’t know what you see in me, though. You're the sun, Virgil's the moon, and Logan's the stars. I'm just… I don't even know what I am." 

Roman reached out and lifted Patton’s face in his hands. “You’re the whole world”, he said. “You’re _my_ whole world. A world of sunshine, and stars, and rainbows, and butterflies...”

“And thunder and clouds?”

“And a pounding heart and silver linings”, Roman corrected firmly.

Patton’s breath caught when he saw the sincerity in those bright eyes. Then Roman’s arms dropped to slide around his waist, and he felt his skin flare into tingling life.

“Roman...” he breathed, slipping his own arms around the man’s neck.

A smile spread across the romantic side’s face, and in an instant Patton’s feet left the floor as he was swept up bridal style and spun around. Giggling, he buried his face in Roman’s neck, breathing in the familiar scent as his face turned as red as the prince’s sash. It was just like his daydreams. Well, almost… He lifted his head to look at Roman, a gleam in his eyes.

“What about today’s note?” he asked. “I think we should see if it’s true.”

“Today’s note? What do you… Oh!” Roman’s smile grew to match Patton’s. “Yes, I’d certainly like to test that. Kisses first, then cakes?”

“That’s my favourite kind of plan!”

Roman peppered his face playfully with kisses before finally settling on his lips. Wrapping his arms tighter around his prince, Patton kissed him blissfully back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, and especially thanks to everyone who's left comments. This has been a big project, and it's been a relief to know people have enjoyed it. I hope this last chapter was a good enough ending!
> 
> *****
> 
> Do you have questions? Requests? A burning desire to reblog moodboards?  
> Find me on Tumblr @patchworkofstars !


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